Monero has announced a new competition aimed at improving the performance of two key cryptographic libraries used in its upcoming FCMP++ upgrade. The contest offers rewards totaling 350 XMR for optimizing the helioselene and ec-divisors libraries.
The competition, scheduled to run from April 28 to June 30, 2025, will award 100 XMR for improvements to the helioselene library and 250 XMR for optimizing the ec-divisors library. Funding for the prizes comes from the Monero General Fund.
The helioselene library implements specialized curves called "Helios" and "Selene" that work together with Ed25519. This architecture allows Monero to maintain its anonymity features while upgrading to FCMP++. Optimizations to this library will speed up several core functions, including wallet synchronization and transaction processing.
For the ec-divisors library, the focus is on improving the calculation of elliptic curve point divisors. This mathematical component enables efficient verification of scalar multiplications, building on research by Liam Eagen. Contestants will work specifically on optimizing the divisor construction process to enhance transaction creation speed.
"This competition presents an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in contributing to Monero," said Justin Berman, who announced the contest. The competition welcomes all participants, including those who wish to remain anonymous, provided they follow the contest guidelines.
Developers can find detailed documentation covering requirements, submission processes, and evaluation criteria in the official competition repository. The winning optimizations will be incorporated into Monero's FCMP++ upgrade, potentially improving performance across the entire network.
The competition aims to advance Monero's technical capabilities while engaging with the broader cryptocurrency development community. Successful optimization of these libraries could lead to faster transaction processing and more efficient blockchain synchronization for Monero users.